Process of rolling rings



s- 1, 1934. F. B. ELL 1,971,027

PROCESS OF ROLLING RINGS Filed Feb. 29, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 jweizfbr 92% M Aug.21, 1934. F,B,BELLV 7 1,971,027

' PRpcEss OF ROLLING RINGS Filed Feb. 29.- 1932 '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 21"; 1934 PROCESS OF ROLLING RINGS Frank B. Bell, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to Edgewater Steel Company, Pittsburgh, *Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application February 29,1932, Serial No. 595,717

1 Claim.

This invention relates to the production of steel rings and has for its object broadly the provision of an improved process of producing rolled steel rings, such for example as are used 5 in the manufacture of ring gears, automobile brake drums, etc.

The principal object of the invention is the production of steel rings of the character described, which will have uniform texture and physical characteristics throughout the entire circumferences and throughout presented faces. Prior to this invention rings of the character described have usually been produced either by bending a bar of iron of desired length and cross sectional form to circular shape and welding the ends together, or by slitting a bar or billet from its center toward. its ends and widening the slit to permit the rolling of'the material into final form. In each instance, of course, the metal is hot rolled to its final form, and in each method described different structural characteristics inherently occur at different points in the circumferences of the finished product.

This invention contemplates the production of rings of the characterdescribed and for the process mentioned, of uniform physical characteristics throughout the entire circumferences. To accomplish this a bar or. billet of metal is first produced and is sheared to desired lengths. The resulting sections are then individually compressed to provide a fiatteneddisc which is perforated at its center to receive an internal roll. The blank thus formed is then circumferentially rolled to enlarge its diameter and bring it to desired final size and sectional configuration.

the ring have uniform physical characteristics throughout these several circumferences. All

parts of such ring have been compacted or comor billet stock sheared to a length providing 'the bulk of metal required in a finished ring;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the same after it has been upset or compressed axially and partially perforated from one side at its center;

Fig. 3 is a similar view after the perforation has been completed and the opening spread;

Thus made it will be apparent that all faces of" progresses.

Fig. 4 is a section through the same after the rolling operation;

Fig. 5 is a schematic plan view of a roll organization adapted to convert the blank of Fig. 3 into the ring of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a transverse view through the organization of Fig. 5, the ring being shown in section and the rolls in elevation. v

In accordance with the preferred practice or embodiment of the instant invention, ,a bar or 05 billet of steel is sheared transversely into sections, typically illustrated at 11 in Figure 1. Each of these sections is then compressed axial- .ly to enlarge its diameter (as indicated in Fig.

2) and is partially perforated at 1 2 at the center. This perforation is then completed and the. hole enlarged (as indicated at 13 in Fig. 3) to. permit insertion of a central or inner roll. Thereafter the blank is rolled circumferentially to provide the finished ring illustrated at 14 in Fig. 4.

This rolling maybe accomplished in a mill provided with rolls adapted to confine and define the bounding faces. An organization of rolls suitable. for this purpose is illustrated in Fig. I

, toward the roll 22, this roll providing the pressure to reduce the diametrio cross section of the blank. The upper and lower faces of the ring are determined as the rolling progresses by upper and lower rolls 26 mounted upon inclined axes, and which compress the blank between them and move away from the main roll 22 as the rolling Guiderolls 27 are provided to preserve the circular contour of the ring and these rolls move outwardly as the blank is enlarged by the progressive rolling into the finished ring.

The steel is preferably worked at forging temperature and in cooling after rolling it will be apparent. that all parts of all of its surfaces contract'equally and have like characteristics in the finished product.

It is thought that the invention and many of and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the process hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim;

The process of fabricating blanks for ring gears-and the like having a uniformly dense molecular structure circumferentially which comprises compressing a circular section of abar of steel axially to form a disk, partially perforating the same by displacing the metal radially outwardly, completing the perforation and enlarging the same by spreading the metal ra- 

